But Democrats closed the gap in record numbers in 2008, enrolling more than 7,300 new voters between March and November. Over that same stretch of time Republicans registered just 2,850 new voters. Those newly registered voters could be critical March 31, when the special election for town supervisor is held. Representatives of both parties agree that getting out the vote will be a major factor in which candidate, Republican Tim Mazzei or Democrat Mark Lesko, wins the election.
"One person said to me, 'This election's about turning people out, not turning them on,'รขâ" said Brookhaven Democratic chair Marsha Laufer.
But the challenge facing Ms. Laufer, and the one historically facing Democrats in Brookhaven, is turning out enough voters. The bump in party enrollment could make that easier.
Democrats registered 4,500 more new voters than Republicans did in the eight months leading up to November's presidential election. And Democrats saw more growth than Republicans did in 80 percent of the town's 294 election districts.
Everyone interviewed for this story said they believe the Democrats' growth is due in large part to the historic candidacy of Barack Obama. And statistics provided by the Board of Elections support that claim.
The largest increase in registered Democrats came in Council District 4 -- which stretches from Bellport north to Middle Island -- where 1,582 potential voters were added onto the rolls between March and November 2008. This is also the council district with the most black residents. Election districts in Gordon Heights, a 62 percent black community, registered 329 new Democrats in the eight months leading up to Election Day last year, nearly 5 percent of the party's total growth.
But growth was still seen throughout Brookhaven.
In fact, more than 1,000 new Democrats were enrolled in five of the town's six council districts between March and November. The only council district to see fewer than 1,000 new Democrats enroll during that same period was District 3, which stretches east from Lake Grove to Selden. But even in that council district, more than twice as many new Democrats registered than Republicans last year.
Brookhaven Republican chairman Jesse Garcia downplayed the impact last year's Democratic enrollment statistics will have on the March special election in a telephone interview Wednesday.
"I think what we saw in that jump was not just voters wanting to vote in the presidential election; they are Obama voters," Mr. Garcia said, adding that he still believes the number of Republican voters turning out for the March special election will exceed the number of Democrats.
Mr. Garcia pointed to Republicans taking both open seats in the prior general election in Brookhaven, held in 2007, as an example of his party still being able to turn out the vote.
But Suffolk Democrats have seen recent success in special elections. The party has won three of the county's last five special elections and there were even more votes cast on the Democratic line than on the Republican line in the 2003 3rd Legislative District race won on minor party lines by Republican Peter O'Leary.
Democrats have also claimed five of the last six townwide elections in Brookhaven, including both runs by former Supervisor Brian Foley. No small feat, in a town where Republicans have held a majority on the Town Board for 94 of the past 100 years.
Democrats, meanwhile, will continue to focus on registering new voters as it gets closer to the special election. Ms. Laufer said volunteers going door to door throughout the town will be armed not only with literature on Mr. Lesko and the party, but also with voter registration forms and absentee ballots.
gparpan@northshoresun.com